Center of pressure metrics are repeatable and reliable in healthy cats walking on a pressure-sensitive treadmill.

Pressure-sensitive treadmill COP metrics are reliable and repeatable in healthy cats, supporting their clinical use.

This prospective reliability study evaluated the repeatability and test-retest reliability of dynamic center of pressure (COP) parameters in 15 healthy cats walking on a pressure-sensitive treadmill (FDM-T-CanidGait; zebris Medical GmbH). Cats had a mean age of 4.2 ± 1.8 years and mean weight of 4.8 ± 0.8 kg. Measurements were taken at two time points within a two-week interval, with three sequences of five valid step cycles analyzed per session. COP parameters assessed included path length, mean velocity, mediolateral and craniocaudal displacement, and the area of the 95% confidence ellipse, calculated paw-wise for both forelimbs and hind limbs. Statistical analysis employed a robust linear mixed-effects model with estimated marginal means. Results demonstrated overall good repeatability and test-retest reliability across COP parameters. Statistically significant but clinically small changes were noted: forelimb COP path length decreased between sessions (mean difference 0.17 cm, 5.3%; small to moderate effect size), hind limb COP velocity increased slightly (0.19 cm/s, 2.8%; small effect size), and hind limb craniocaudal displacement decreased (1.42%; small to moderate effect size). These minor variations likely reflect subtle neuromuscular adaptation or learning effects rather than true measurement error. The authors conclude that pressure-sensitive treadmill COP analysis is a reliable, repeatable tool for evaluating gait stability and postural control in cats, with potential future applications in assessing neurological and orthopedic conditions in feline patients.

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